Cons of Native Apps

Native Apps Best For…

Because native apps are so specialized and complex, they are best suited for performance and user experience.

They are also a good option if you don’t have budget or time constraints and if your app requires extensive use of device hardware features.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are made up of different technologies and can work across multiple platforms using a central codebase.

They are essentially web apps in a native shell. This means even though they get their data from the web, you can install and use them on a mobile device – just like a native app.

Pros of Hybrid Apps

Save time and money

One central codebase with minimal tweaking required

Access to in-built device features through plugins

Easy to update

Cons of Hybrid Apps

Less than optimal performance

UX might vary on multiple devices

Don’t work offline

Hybrid Apps Best For...

Hybrid apps are a good option if want to reach a broad audience rather than a specialized user base.

They are also great if you don’t require extremely high performance or offline capabilities or if you don’t have the time and money to invest in two different native apps.

Progressive Web Apps

Progressive web apps support features such as push notifications, offline modes, and home screen shortcuts, while traditional web apps do not.

And that’s why progressive web apps have become more popular among brands.

However, whether you invest in a progressive web app over a native or hybrid app depends on your business goals.

If you want to aim for larger mobile audiences on both Android and iOS specifically, a progressive web app might not be a good option because of limited browser, software, and hardware support.

But, if you are on a budget, your users are located in places with flaky internet, and you want your mobile web experience to be as engaging as a mobile app, a progressive web app might be the way to go.

David Oragui

Writer

David Oragui is the Lead Growth Engineer and Founder of Grow Hack Scale (https://growhackscale.com), a performance-based, growth marketing agency that specializes in growth engineering for socially-responsible businesses and startups.

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